Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among Latina women (LW) in the U.S. Nursing knowledge in the area of CVD and LW is currently underdeveloped. Most studies have included Mexican women (MW) with limited information on how predictors such as resources, situational, personal, and demographic factors have an effect on the CVD-related dietary practices, physical activity (PA), and exercise practices among LW subgroups such as Central American women (CAW). The purpose of this cross-sectional and follow-up preliminary intervention study is to describe and analyze the CVD-related diet, PA, and exercise practices predictors in 221 Mexican and CAW recruited from six counties in Northern California. Face-to-face interviews will be conducted with MA and CAW (ages 40-75) who have at least one risk factor for CVD to answer the following questions: What are the CVD-related risk factors, dietary practices, PA, and exercise behaviors in Mexican and Central American women who are 40 to 75 years and who have at least one risk factor for CVD? What is the relationship between predictor variables (resources, situational, personal, and demographic factors) with CVD-related diet practices, PA, and exercise behaviors (outcome variables)?, and what are the short and intermediate-term effects of a cardiovascular nursing intervention on diet, PA, and exercise? A sample of 221 women is targeted. Data will be collected during the first two years of the project to provide substantial research-based information to develop a cardiovascular nursing intervention to support LW efforts to promote heart health and prevent CVD. Data will be analyzed during the third year and the cardiovascular nursing intervention will be developed to determine the short (3 months) and intermediate-term (6 months) effects in the outcome variables. A randomly selected sample of 60 women from the same cohort will be randomly assigned to the developed intervention group (n=30 in each group) and to a delayed-intervention control group. The results of this study are aimed to design a prospective experimental study with a specialized cardiovascular nursing intervention.